Vegetable adhesive and method of making the same



Patented Apr. 19,1932

UNITED STATES.

PATENT oFFIcE IRVING 'F. LAUCKS AND GLENN DAVIDSON, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNORS 1'0 I. I. LAUGHS, INCORPORATED, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON VEGETABLE ADHESIVE AND METHOD OF MAKING Ho Drawingju- Origlnal application filed October 29, 1923, Serial No. 671,381. Divided and this filed August 31, 1928. Serial N'o. 303,'359.

the material as derived from various sources is a serious detriment; while .blood albumin is not available except in certain situations. There is accordingly a great demand, particularly in the veneer industry where large quantities of glue are consumed, for a new glue that will be cheap and at the same time sufiiciently water-proof. By water-proof, in this connection, it is not meant that glues thus characterized will resist the action of water indefinitely, but .it is meant that they are water-proof in the sense in which the term is used in the veneer industry, viz., that a panelcan be soaked in cold water for from seventy-two to one hundred hours, or in boiling water for eight hours, without separation.

Vegetable compounds have not, so far as we are aware, been heretofore satisfactorily employed as a basis for water-proof glues of the type in question. It is true that some veneer makers, on account of the high prlce of casein, have come to use starch glues but these, at least as heretofore made, are not at all water-proof, and vegetable proteins, have not heretofore been used at all, so far as We are aware.

We have now discovered, however, that by I subjecting the same to proper treatment, such vegetable proteins or vegetable matter containing proteins in proper amount, and for that matter even with starch, can be converted into a water-proof glue that will satisfy the rigid requirements of veneer or plywood making. The requisite raw material may be derived from a number of sources and the treatment of such material is relatlvely simple and inexpensive sothat as a result we are able to produce a satisfactory glue at a much lower cost than has heretofore been possible;

To the accomplishment of the foregomgand related ends, the invention, then, consists of the combination of ingredients or com.-

application postion of matter and the steps involved in the pre aration of such composition hereinafter ully described and. particularly pointedv out in the claims, it being understood that such disclosed ingredients and steps constitute but several of the various ways in' which the principle of the invention may be used.

Ye have found that soya bean flour constitutes an admirable raw material for our purpose. Such flour is preferably made by grinding soya beancake so that 80. per cent. will passa 100 mesh screen and when treated with certain chemicals, or other substances, we make therefrom a very satisfactory glue that meets the requirements of the veneer trade fully and is in many respects better than the usual glues now on the market. Such bean cake, as analyzed by us, is found to contain on the average 45 per cent. protein, 12 per cent. water, 5 per cent. cellulose or crude fiber, 7 per cent. .oil, 6 per cent. ash,

and 25 per cent. carbohydrates.

We do not, however, wish to limit ourselves to soya bean flour or to vegetable protein derived from thissource for we have made satisfactory glue by our improved process from similar seed flours, or protein matter derived from such, in which there is a considerable protein content, examples of which are linseed flour, cottonseed flour, and the like, or even for some uses a low grade wheat containing approximately 10 per cent. protein; that is soya bean flour gives the best results, but other sources of vegetable protein-coil taining material may be employed with proportionately advantageous results.

Soya bean flour made from soya bean cake from which the oil has been expressed, is preferably used in practice because it is cheaper and makes a better glue, but flour made from whole soya beans, Without expressing the contained oil, may also beused, although obviously this would not be economical in view of the value which attaches to such oil.

As to the fineness of the flour, it is not necessary. that the meal be ground sive preliminary purifications and separations in order to get good results, with our process. Starch has of course heretofore been used in glues, notably in making the so-called Perkins glue, which is in common use, but

as thus used the starch is simply compounded with caustic soda and is not in any sense water-proof.

When the usual chemicals employed in making casein glue, viz., limeand sod um silicate, are added to a vegetable protein-containing material, for example, soya ,bean flour, a lue results,.but it is not as good as casein g ue. It is not as highly water resistant nor as workable. \Ve find, however, by the use of caustic soda with such vegetable 1 protein-containing matter, a much better glue is obtained, such caustic soda apparently equivalents o caustic soda are salts of soda (or potash) with weak acids, e. sodium phosphate, sodium borate and the l e. Sim-- ilarly in place of lime, magnesia, baryta and strontia may be used as equivalents.

In order to improve the workin properties, e. g. the spreading and flow, o the glue produced as aforesaid as well as the water resisting properties, we have found it desirable to add other substances of which the fol lowing are examples Chrome alum, ammonia alum, aluminum sulphate. Equivalents would be other alums and aluminum salts, including aluminates. Portland cement which has a certain calcium aluminate content, also has efiect.

In general, the alums increase the water resistance of the glue.

We have also found that certain substances will act in the same way as the caustic soda and also as thinners, e. g. sodium phosphate, sodium perborate and sodium sulphite. These salts are all related in that they are combinations of the strong base sodium with a weak acid and there are a number of other salts that fall in the same category and which have a similar effect, so need not be listed in detail.

As examples we may cite the following typical formulae (1) Mix 30 parts of soya bean flour, 1 part alum, parts water; add 13 parts 18 per cent. caustic soda solution and 4 parts-calcium hydrate in 20 parts water.

(2) Mix 30 parts of cottonseed flour, 1 part alum, 70 parts water; add 13 parts 18 per cent. caustic soda solution and four parts calcium h drate in,20 parts water.

(3) blix 30 parts low grade wheat flour, 10 parts Portland cement, 30 parts water, 30 parts 18 per cent. caustic soda solution; warm to degrees (3.; add 15 parts water glass.

" The particular order in which the flour or meal and the several ingredients are admixed together in the formulae just given may be varied, and it is not necessary that the manufacture of the product be completed in a single continuous operation, but as a matter of practicewe have found it desirable in certain cases to mix only certain of the ingredientsinitially and then add the others just before the glue is required for use.

.This application is a division of our applicatim Serial No. 671,381, filed October 29, 192

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention maybe employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the process herein disclosed or the materials employed in carrying out such process provided the stated ingredients and steps or the equivalent of such' stated ingredients or steps be'employed.

, We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention 1. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of an aluminium compound, and a proteinous vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents.

2. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of an aluminium compound and soya bean flour including also non-protein constituents.

3. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of alum and a proteinous vegetable flour'including also nonprotein constituents.

4. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of alum and soya bean flour including non-protein constituents.

5. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of a proteinous vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium and an aluminium compound.

6. An adhesive composition which comprises the reaction products of soya bean including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium, and an aluminium compound.

7. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of a vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium, and alum.

8. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of soya bean flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium. and alum.

9. An adhesive composition, which comprises the reaction products of soya bean flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium, and alum, the proportions of the soya bean flour and the alum be: ing about 30'parts of soya bean flour and about 1 part of alum respectively. 10. The process of making an adhesive, 5 which comprises incorporating in a proteinous vegetable .flour including also non-protein constituents, a small proportion of an aluminium compound.

11. The process of making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in soya bean flour includin also non-proteinous constituents, asma l proportion of an aluminium compound.

' 12. The process of making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in a proteinous vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents, a small proportion of alum. 13. The process of making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in soya bean flour including also a small proportion of 7 non-protein constituents, a small proportion of alum. L I

14. The process of making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in a proteinous vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium, and a small proportion of an aluminium compound.

15. The process of making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in soya bean p 3 flour including also non-protein constituents,

an alkaline medium, and a small proportion of an aluminium com ound. 16. The process 0 making an adhesive, which comprises incorporating in a proteinous vegetable flour including also non-protein constituents, an alkaline medium, and a small proportion of alum.

17. The process of making an adhesive, which com rises incorporating in soya bean 40 flour inclu ing also nonrotem constituents, an alkaline medium, an alum. I 18. The process of making an adhesive, which com rises incorporating in soya bean flour inclu ing also non-protein constituents,

an alkaline medium and alu'm, the proportions of the soya bean'fiour and the alum being about 30 parts of the soya bean flour and about 1 part of the alum, res ctivel IRVING F. AUG S. GLENN DAVIDSON. 

